#Raw Materials

2022-01-20

COTTON USA Mill Mastery® courses show how U.S. Cotton optimizes spinning mills

Nearly 100 mill participants in four countries have learned how using superior quality U.S. cotton optimizes their spinning mills, after completing the COTTON USA Mill Mastery® course. CCI’s in-depth COTTON USA Mill Mastery® course is an informative course of study designed to take global mills’ spinning skills to the next level. It’s led by the COTTON USA SOLUTIONS® Technical Team, with a combined experience of over 200 years. Illustrating its success, 97% of the participants have rated the courses as helpful for their day-to-day operations.

COTTON USA Mill Mastery® empowers spinning industry participants with industry-relevant knowledge of all aspects of U.S. cotton through 15 distinct modules, covering 24 different subjects. The topics start with the U.S. cotton field and cover all major steps of cotton yarn spinning, maintenance and auxiliary processes. Beyond technical knowledge, there are modules on cotton buying, the economics of spinning and profitability in yarn production.

The COTTON USA SOLUTIONS® Technical Team delivered courses in Bangladesh, India, Vietnam and Pakistan on fiber quality, fiber selection, profitability and bale management. The team also taught a course on cotton fiber trading and buying twice in Pakistan and in Bangladesh. The profitability module attracted a lot of attention, and the Technical Team presented it multiple times in each of the four different countries. After every course, an open-book exam provided an opportunity for participants to reflect on their learning.

The success of the courses is evident by the fact that 99% of participants confirmed that they are likely to recommend the courses to a colleague. The COTTON USA Mill Mastery® course awards a physical and digital certificate of completion (partnered with Credly). The sharing rate of issued digital credentials on social media was 75%, compared to an industry average of 47%.

COTTON USA Mill Mastery® courses are one of five offerings of COTTON USA SOLUTIONS®, a cotton consultancy created to take spinning mills to the next level of success. The programs provide unmatched expertise informed by work with over 1,500 mills in 50 countries. COTTON USA SOLUTIONS® programs are complimentary for COTTON USA™ licensees with a U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® membership.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Dr N Vigneshwaran is named 2026 ICAC Researcher of the Year

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is pleased to announce the selection of Dr N Vigneshwaran, Principal Scientist and Head of the Chemical and Biochemical Processing Division at the ICAR–Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (ICAR-CIRCOT), Mumbai, India, as the ICAC Researcher of the Year 2026.

New U.S. cotton study uses real-world grower data to reveal where fiber impacts occur

Cotton Incorporated has released a critically reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) of U.S. cotton fiber production that examines how cotton’s environmental impacts are measured and where meaningful improvements can be made across the value chain. The new data, grounded in real‑world grower inputs, measures what drives U.S. cotton’s environmental footprint from field to gin.

The future of textiles, the power of trade, and the summit of technology come together at ITM 2026

ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, one of the most prestigious organizations in the textile technologies sector, opens its doors to visitors between June 9-13. Expected to break records in terms of both exhibitor and visitor numbers, as well as the technological vision it presents, ITM 2026 will transform into a global trade hub with machine sales, and new business collaborations.

ATCO Hygienics, Uzbekistan, orders baby diaper production line from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from ATCO Hygienics to supply a new baby diaper production line for its plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The order is included in ANDRITZ’s order intake for the first quarter of 2026. Commissioning of the production line is scheduled for the end of 2026.

Nico Pedretti appointed as Managing Director Graf Group

As of June 1, 2026, Nico Pedretti has assumed the role of Managing Director Graf Group. With more than 20 years of international industrial experience and extensive expertise in Operations, Supply Chain Management, Finance and Controlling, he brings a broad range of leadership and business experience to support Graf’s continued success.